


crawl and beg, and plead (you've got the power and control)

by WinterSabbath



Series: Frostiron Bingo 2019 [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Delusions, Emotional Hurt, Hallucinations, Heavy Angst, Hurt Tony Stark, Illusions, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loss of Trust, M/M, Schizophrenia, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Unreliable Narrator, but are they really, or does he?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 19:14:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20214859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterSabbath/pseuds/WinterSabbath
Summary: Loki keeps telling Tony he’s schizophrenic. Tony is sure he isn’t. Loki is just tricking him... right?





	crawl and beg, and plead (you've got the power and control)

**Author's Note:**

> bingo square B1: prompt: unreliable narrator

Tony stared down the image of his father in front of him. It looked so... _real_. He knew better, though. Housing a trickster and powerful illusionist had its side effects. Ever since Ultron, Loki was no longer the same. He was no longer the lover Tony knew and Tony was _sure_ Loki was a threat. Everyone disagreed but Tony knew better.

“Stop this,” Tony said out loud as the image of Howard approached him. He swallowed, repeating to himself that this was only an illusion. _Just an illusion._

Then he heard Loki behind him. “Anthony.” He sounded annoyed. Tony whirled around to see Loki frowning at him.

Tony pointed at his father and glared. “Get rid of this!”

“Anthony, I am not doing anything,” Loki said, raising his hands, “It is not my doing.”

“Then whose doing then?” Tony asked, eyes widening when the sound of a familiar Jericho explosion echoed in his ears. He covered his ears, closing his eyes. “Stop it! Stop it! What the fuck do you want from me?”

“Anthony,” Loki repeated, his voice muffled to Tony, “I have told you many times. This is not an effect of magic. Dr. Banner has called is schizophrenia and—"

Tony shook his head and stepped forward, pointing a finger at Loki. “I don’t know how you managed to trick all of the Avengers but you are _not_ fooling me. God, I can’t believe I ever trusted you!” he growled.

“I am not the villain here, your mind is merely—”

“Enough of your lies!” Tony yelled, stumbling back and knocking over a glass. It shattered on the floor and he flinched. “You’re the god of lies, why did I ever think you can be trusted.”

“I am not here to harm any of you. Anthony, please, I care about you. I love you. I could not think to ever harm you or your friends. Not anymore,” Loki said softly, looking like he wanted to touch Tony. Tony kept moving backwards. If he went any closer, Loki could kill him. Tony noted the look of hesitation that crossed Loki’s face before he put his hands down. That’s right. He _should_ be scared of what Tony could do.

Then he heard his own screams from the cave in Afghanistan and he fell back. “Make it stop! Leave me the fuck alone! Where’s JARVIS? J!”

There was no response.

Tony looked at Loki. “Did you disable him?”

“JARVIS is right here—”

“Get _out_ before I rip you apart with my suit,” Tony screeched at him, the screams still pounding in his ears.

“I cannot leave you alone like this.”

“Get out or kill me, whatever you’re here to do, get it over with!” Tony glowered, scooting back.

There was a pause and then Loki said, “Perhaps we should sit down.”

“I’m not sitting down with someone who wants to kill me.”

“I do not wish to kill you.” Loki’s actions were not as convincing, though. One of his arms was behind his back—the easiest way to conceal a weapon.

Tony looked down. “You can’t kill me because you don’t want to be found out, right? Fuck you,” he spat, “The team won’t believe me when I say you’re a threat but I assure you, one day, they’ll find out.”

“JARVIS, where is Dr. Banner?” after a pause, Loki added, “Call Captain Rogers, then.”

Tony heard no response. “Why are you talking to him if you’ve disabled him? What, you think I’ll suddenly believe you’re on our side because you’re looking for Cap?”

“He is right here, Anthony.”

“Stop calling me that!”

There was a round of footsteps and Tony scooted under the table just in case it was someone Loki called to attack him. He could see another set of feet stop next to Loki’s.

“Is he alright?” it was Steve.

“His schizophrenia has given him another attack.”

Tony crawled out of the table and stood up, folding his arms and glaring at Loki. “Look, I don’t know how you managed to trick even _Steve_ that I have a mental illness when I _don’t."_

“Tony—” Steve began. He shut him up.

“Don’t _Tony _me. You’re standing beside someone who wants to ruin the Avengers and instead of listening to me, you’re trusting him instead!”

“Maybe you should go to bed,” Steve suggested, walking over to Tony.

“What I _need _is for you to listen to me!” Tony repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past week. “He knows I’m the only one who can see what he really is and so he’s trying to make you guys believe I’m delusional.

“You’ve been having hallucinations, Bruce already—"

Tony shoved Steve away and frantically gestured to Loki. “Those hallucinations were from him!"

“Tony, he loves you.”

“I do,” Loki said from behind Steve.

Tony clenched his fist. “I don’t want to hear any more of your lies.”

“It is no lie, Anthony. It pains me to see you like this. I would not do this to you.”

Steve mouthed something to Loki and turned back to Tony, pulling him into a friendly hug. “Let’s go sleep, Tony, we can deal with this tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Anthony.”

Loki and Tony locked eyes and Loki gave him a smile before disappearing. Tony resisted the urge to growl again. He saw the malice behind that smile. Whatever it took, Tony would let the Avengers realize how much of a threat Loki really was.

**Author's Note:**

> so... what do you guys think? Is Tony delusional or is Loki really betraying them? That's up for you guys to decide! I'd love to hear your thoughts.


End file.
